Research Paper on Western Diet: A Health Risk

Introduction

Today, there is a widespread of the western diet across the universe. Also defined as the standard American diet (SAD), the menu is characterized by the high consumption of processed and red meat, fried foods, refined grains, pre-packaged food, high-sugar drinks, and other high-fat dairy products. However, since the western diet is majorly defined by the high sugar levels and saturated fats, there have been significant health concerns since high sugars and saturated are posing significant debated about health concerns. In addition to the increase in the consumption of western diet and health concerns, there has been a tremendous increase in dietary conditions and chronic disease, which could be connected to the diet of the west. Thus, this paper will look into the health concerns and the western diet evaluating whether the diet of the west could be behind the rising health concerns.

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Western Diet Context

In consideration of the health-related class of life, it explains individual awareness and evaluation of their health within their cultural health practices. The human food diet plays a significant role in the health of populations, particularly when it involved improving individual health. More than often, people consume the wester diet without asking critical such as the dietary compositions of the food they consume. As people consume unhealthy foods lacking the essential body nutrients, this creates significant concerns on individual health. According to Schroeter, Anders, and Carlson (2013), there are substantial effects posed by the intake of vitamins, food culture, diet demographics, and other lifestyle indicators, suggesting that some of the actions such as intake of vitamin supplements or unhealthy diet practices could be harmful. The different health indicators, such as obesity and other chronic diseases, are a determinant of diet quality (Schroeter, Anders, & Carlson, 2013).

In a health-related class of life study by Costarelli, Koretsi, and Georgitsogianni (2013), on the Greek adolescents about the significance of the Mediterranean diet, there were different conclusions concerning the relationship between foods and health. For instance, Costarelli, Koretsi, and Georgitsogianni (2013) found that observance to the Mediterranean diet affected one of the critical components of the health-related quality of life. As such, this adds to the arguments concerning the sway of the Western diet on individual fitness based on the different diet compositions.

Key Health Concerns

Diet and Delocalization

With the tremendous dietary changes in the past two centuries, the changes in the food patterns have been associated with different health and nutrition improved levels; however, nutritionally related diseases are increasing. In consideration of the various dietary disorders, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart condition, most of them are caused by high sugar content in foods and processed saturated fats. As the high sugars characterize the western diet, it means that there is a chance that the diet of the west is causing health concerns. Recently, there have been different links implicating the diet of the west by raising health concerns such as the increased risk of prostate cancer and colon infection. In other cases, the diet of the west has been associated with lifestyle changes as people are now consuming fast foods more than any other diet. According to Pelto (1983), the changes surrounding diets since 1750 have delivered significant to the dietary habits posing concerns between health and nutrition. In the diet delocalization, some of the involved factors include the dissemination of domesticated animals and plants, the increase of commercial food distribution chains, food sugars, and rural to urban population movement (Pelto, 1983).

Obesity Healthcare Concern

One of the major concerns in the 21st century is the increase in obesity cases, especially amongst young people, due to the western diet. Children, teenagers and adults are facing the obesity health problem due to the chronic excess consumption of the diet of the west. Most of the western foods contain a high level of sugars and fats, which is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic in the world of the west (Costarelli et al., 2013). The endocannabinoid system is highly caught up in the regulation of food consumption, energy balance and the reward.

The system is made of lipid signaling molecules which bind with the cannabinoid receptors in the body cells. Western diet has been tested in the laboratory previously by feeding it on mice which have shown a rapid gain in weight due to the high consumption of calories in a higher frequency of intake. Western diets provide the majority of urban dwellers with easy access of unhealthy and palatable food which is composed of saturated fatty acids and simple sugars which can easily be converted into fats and stored under the skin subcutaneous layer. In Greece alone, the rate of adolescent obesity has been on the rise and the highest in Europe due to the adoption and preference of the western diet (Costarelli et al., 2013).

Obesity is increasingly becoming a health concern in the developed and the developing western countries due to the health externalities that are associated with health complications such a cardiovascular complications and general ill-health. Obesity is related to the decline of the individual self-esteem of obese teenagers and will have a detrimental impact on their productivity in the future. The western diet is associated with the massive consumption of red meat, fast food, eggs and wheat products, which has been detrimental to the health of the people (Costarelli et al., 2013).The health complications associated with the western diet increasingly results in metabolic abnormalities due to the increase of cholesterol and insulin resistance which pose a significant health risk to the population.

The high obesity incidence of the young people on a western diet is increasingly becoming a health problem and the adverse health effects in adulthood will only increase with time if the right mitigation measures are not implemented (Costarelli et al., 2013).Adolescence obesity is one of the significant predictors of adult obesity which is an indication of the need to change the western diet and encourage young people to be more engaged in physical activities as well as the change to traditional foods which are low in simple sugars and cholesterol. The western diet is usually high in fats, sugar and salt and significantly lacking in fibre which has been associated with high intake because it is highly palatable, which increases the number of calories per eating. Western diets are becoming a major cause of unintentional obesity in the industrialized western European countries.

Coronary Heart Disease

Western diets are increasing the incidence of heart-related complications in the world. The nature of the western foods which are high in fats, salt, and cholesterol reduces the function of the heart components such as the arteries which become clogged due to the high fats and cholesterol which thickens the articles and imposes more pressure on the heart to function normally (Costarelli et al., 2013).Western diets are high in refined grains, salt, unhealthy fats, and animal products which are all associated with poor cardiovascular health.

Today, there is a decrease in the level of physical activities which has been detrimental towards the health of the populations due to the consumption of the easy to make western diets which fit into the profile of modern busy and high career engaged lifestyles (Smil, 1989). The increase in the use of the diet of the west is detrimental to health and associated with the rise in coronary heart disease. A high percentage of coronary heart disease cases can be reduced through optimal dieting which includes reduction of high fat and pure sugar concentrated western diets while encouraging increased physical exercises which can counter the negative impacts of high cholesterol and sugar content western diets.

Conclusion

Western diet composition and the extent of popularity have made it a significant problem due to the adverse health outcomes that are associated with the high palatable and high-calorie western diet. Obesity and coronary diseases are increasingly diseases that are associated with the increased consumption of the western diet. Western diets are made of highly refined grains and high-fat content fast food which are high in sugar, making them attractive to young people. The popularity of western diets is increasingly becoming a health concern due to the high intake calories and high fat and sugar content, which leads to weight gain and adverse health outcomes. The western diet is associated with high palatability and ease of access and preparation, which has increased the overall intake and popularity. Western diet popularity has led to the growth of child and adolescence obesity which poses an adverse health outcome such as coronary heart diseases and cancer, which are associated with western diets.

References

Costarelli, V., Koretsi, E., & Georgitsogianni, E. (2013). Health-related quality of life of Greek adolescents: The role of the Mediterranean diet. Quality of Life Research, 22(5),951-956. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-012-0219-2

Rachel K. Johnson, Helen Guthrie, Helen Smiciklas-Wright, & Wang, M. (1994). Characterizing Nutrient Intakes of Children by Sociodemographic Factors. Public

Health Reports (1974-),109(3), 414-420. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1403506/

Pelto, G., & Pelto, P. (1983). Diet and Delocalization: Dietary Changes since 1750. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History,14(2), 507-528. Retrieved fromhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/203719

Schroeter, C., Anders, S., & Carlson, A. (2013). The Economics of Health and Vitamin Consumption. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 35(1), 125-149. Retrieved fromhttps://academic.oup.com/aepp/article-abstract/35/1/125/8516

Smil, V. (1989). Coronary Heart Disease, Diet, and Western Mortality. Population and Development Review, 15(3), 399-424. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1972440